Zoe Talon du Cayla

Zoe Talon du Cayla (5 August 1785-19 March 1852) was the mistress of King Louis XVIII of France and a leader of the Ultra-Royalists.

Biography
Zoe Talon du Cayla was born in Le Boullay-Thierry, France on 5 August 1785, and she married a count in 1802, only to attempt to divorce him years later; she turned to King Louis XVIII of France for help. King Louis helped her in securing her divorce from her husband, and she soon became a close confidant of his, even becoming his maitresse-en-titre. King Louis bought her a chateau at Saint-Ouen with Maison du Roi funds, and she became an influential figure at court. She became rivals with the liberal politician and rival wool importer William-Louis Ternaux, who held a party for liberal politicians at the petit chateau of Saint-Ouen on the same day as Madame du Cayla's reception party for the King at the main chateau on 2 May 1823, and who imported goats from Tibet to graze his park at Saint-Ouen, while Madame du Cayla imported merino sheep from Spain to rival Ternaux's wool business. She died at her chateau in 1852.